Acclimation
by Aerophin
Summary: It's all about life and growing up. A drabble series for January 2013, on adjusting to change and learning to live again. — ShikamaruIno. Complete.
1. Beginning

**acclimation;** o1.) _beginning_—

* * *

It was right after they were assigned their genin teams that Ino finally retired her belly-baring outfit and donned a more conservative ensemble.

"If I didn't know any better," Shikamaru wryly commented one day, "I'd think you'd finally grown up."

Ino huffed, and chucked the nearest item on hand in his direction. It was a notebook, purple, as was her favorite color, and scribbled with notes, names, and doodles (one which aptly included a crude drawing of Shika being impaled with his own shadow hands, complete with X's for eyes). It hit him squarely in the face, less because of Ino's good aim and more because of Shikamaru's apathetic tendencies that kept him tied to the couch he lazed upon.

He groaned, the notebook still covering his face, and wondered what was wrong with her that day.

"I am mature! I have a genin team now!" she screeched from across the room, hands on her shapely hips, eyes narrowed. "And what about you? You're still as lazy as when _we_ were genins. It's a wonder you ever made jounin."

He rolled his eyes. Not this again. He flicked the notebook off his face, letting it fall easily to the floor.

Ino strolled over to where he lay, hovering over him, blond tendrils falling over her shoulder to tickle his face. "We're not children anymore, Shika," she spoke gently.

Oh, how he knew that, especially when the evidence was staring him in the face. Ino's breasts were mere inches from his face, and he turned as to hide his obvious staring. He coughed, sitting up sharply, and said, "Yeah, yeah." Then, to deflect from the current situation, he added, "You coming to meet up with us later? With all the junk you put on your face and hair, it's a wonder you actually show up on time."

She huffed, swiping her notebook off the floor. "Beauty is an art! You can't rush it!"

"I seem to recall an incident where your hair turned orange for a whole week because you were in a hurry. Let's hope it doesn't happen again, yeah?"

"You wipe that smirk off your face, Nara!" Ino glared at him, her cheeks starting to burn.

"I know nothing about style, but even I knew it looked bad. Scared off your boyfriend, didn't it?"

Ino's eyes widened for a moment at the reminder, then she narrowed her eyes and rushed forward, shoving Shikamaru towards the door.

"Please! Homaru was a jerk anyway! Now get out, I have to get ready!"

Shikamaru stumbled out of Ino's apartment, barely catching himself in time. A smile graced his features as the door slammed behind him, and he gave a small chuckle. Making his way down the flight of stairs, he noticed someone staring up at him.

"Oi! Takuza! You remember our meeting later, right?"

"Yes, Shikamaru-sensei!" announced the boy when Shikamaru landed at the bottom of the stairs. The green-eyed genin stared at Shikamaru, a frown on his face. "Is everything alright with Ino-sensei?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Shikamaru answered. He looked up at Ino's apartment, and grinned.

* * *

**Author Note: **So I've planned a drabble series for the month of January. One chapter a day—let's hope I can keep up. Updates might be sporadic on FFnet, so check out my Tumblr (found on my profile). The chapters will be posted with the tag _fanfic: acclimation_. Enjoy, and Happy New Years.


	2. Prepared

**acclimation;** o2.) _prepared_—

* * *

"You think they're ready?"

Shikamaru directed his gaze toward his genin team and slowly shook his head.

In the distance, Takuza laid on the ground, soaking wet from Houzumi's water jutsu, and angrily pointed a finger at his teammate. He jumped up swiftly, advancing toward the smaller boy, but was stopped when Yukari stuck out her foot and sent him sprawling back to the ground, face-first.

"Nope," was all Shikamaru said.

Beside him, Ino gave a small chuckle. "It's only been a year. We didn't have that much time to prepare for our chuunin exams either, and yet you were promoted on your first try."

"And I still believe it was one of the worst things to happen to me."

Ino socked him in the arm, flabbergasted. "How can you say that? It's when people finally started to recognize your genius!"

"Like I said," Shikamaru answered her, rubbing at his sore arm and wincing, "one of the worst things to ever happen to me."

She let out a sigh, but attempted to hide the smile tugging at her lips as she turned her gaze from Shikamaru to his still-squabbling genins. Yukari stood defensively in front of Houzumi, her younger and smaller cousin, and stared down at Takuza who was adamantly trying to direct a wind jutsu at the pair.

"I wonder if this is how Asuma saw us," Ino said unexpectedly.

"Eh?"

"We were just like them, fighting all the time and getting on each other's nerves. But you can't help but love them, right? First time I saw my team, I was hooked. Their innocence, naivety—it's so endearing, and you know it's not going to last, but you want to protect them as much as possible. They make and break you at the same time."

Shikamaru answered succinctly, "Yeah."

"Sorry," she said quickly. "Just being nostalgic a bit, I guess." She smiled then, a small, sad thing that made Shikamaru's heart heavy at the sight. "But this is best part, right? And you try so hard to get through and finish it so quickly because you hate those D-rank missions, but everything else is just downhill from there."

"Ino—"

"No, sorry, I just"—she cleared her throat, shaking her head—"I just miss them. Asuma, Shikaku, my dad…"

Before she could finish her thought, Shikamaru had moved forward, slipped an arm behind her back, and pressed her to his front.

"Sh-shikamaru!" she blurted. Her cheeks began to flush, and over his shoulder she could spy his genins, still too occupied with their quarrel to notice their sensei. "Your students!" she hissed.

"It's not so bad, is it?" he questioned her, still holding her tight. "I'm still here."

A moment passed, Ino's blush beginning to die down. Her eyes softened, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Yeah," she whispered, her hold tightening. "Yeah."


	3. Letters

**acclimation; **o3.) _letters_—

* * *

Ino slipped her finger underneath the seal of the envelope, and ripped it open. Lifting the letter out, her eyes scanned the paper quickly, a smile blooming on her face. She laughed, and, without tearing her eyes away from Sakura's latest letter, found her comfiest couch and snuggled down to enjoy her mail.

"Something interesting happening in Kumo?" Shikamaru voiced from his side of the room where he flipped dispassionately through one of her magazines (they were all about fashion, that was why. Go figure).

"Eh?" Ino piped up, eyes still glued to her letter.

"Nothing," he mumbled in reply. He flipped indifferently through the magazine, wondering why he was wasting his time waiting for Chouji at Ino's house.

They lapsed into silence for several moments, comfortable in the still air.

"Will you miss me when I'm gone?"

Shikamaru lifted his eyes, brows creased together. "Gone? Where are you going?"

"Nowhere. Just, when I'm gone. For some reason or another. Will you miss me?"

He turned back to his uninteresting magazine. "Yeah. I guess I will."

Ino frowned at his simple words. "That's it?"

"What more do you want me to say?"

"More than 'yeah, I guess.'"

"Fine. When you're gone, my poor, bleeding heart will yearn for your presence with every passing moment, and my soul will thrash with pain and suffering until your large, booming voice fills my entire being again. Satisfied?"

His only answer was a fluffy pillow to his head. He shot her a glare, but it disappeared the moment he saw the hurt expression on her face.

"Are you planning on leaving?" asked Shikamaru solemnly.

"No," she sighed in reply. "I was just curious."

"I would. And I'd worry too, even if it wasn't a mission. You keep your friends close to keep them safe." He returned to his magazine, then frowned in disgust at a sex advice column, and flipped it over his head to land behind the couch.

Standing from her seat, Ino made her way toward Shikamaru, her letter forgotten on a side table. "Aww," she crooned, placing her hands on her knees and leaning towards him, "is Shika actually a softie underneath his laziness?" She giggled. "Don't worry, I won't be leaving any time soon. Hopefully. We shinobi can never keep such promises."

"I know," he spoke, pulling her down to sit beside him. "But it's good enough for now."


	4. Restless

**acclimation;** o4.) _restless_—

* * *

"Ugh, is this really necessary, Ino-sensei?"

"Of course!" the jounin exclaimed to her pouting students, her hands on her hips.

Vana sighed and flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder. "I don't see why we have to do a team building exercise. It's obvious these two will never pass the chuunin exam. Won't it just be easier if you focused your efforts on me?"

"Vana!" Ino chided her student, flicking her eyes over to her other students. Maji was hardly paying attention, preferring to sift the soil through his fingers and busying himself with the ants that traversed the ground before him. To his right, Megumi sat stoically, her large brown eyes searching Ino's eyes for several moments. Unnerved at the scrutiny, Ino turned away and sighed.

"Team-building exercises are crucial for your development as shinobi. It's very rare that you'll be sent on a mission alone, so creating strong bonds with your teammates, no matter how annoying or unimportant they seem, are very important."

Ino's face fell when it appeared that none of her genins were listening to her. Vana, easily distracted, had floundered away to chase after a butterfly, Maji was enraptured with the ants swirling around his feet, and Megumi had shifted closer to Maji to inspect his work.

Ino inwardly groaned. Were all genin teams this bad? It wasn't surprising that her three students had never really interacted much at the academy, given how different their personalities were. Even Team Asuma, who had known each other from birth, had difficulty functioning as a team when they were first assembled. At the thought of their genin days, Ino smiled.

"Look, things will be rough at first, and believe me, I hated my genin team for a while too. But the bonds you'll create during this time are the longest-lasting and the most meaningful. I promise you, if you guys aren't best friends by the time I'm done with you all, I've done something terribly wrong."

With a huff, Vana returned to join the rest of her peers, and plopped down beside Megumi. Her bored expression irked Ino to no end, but Ino quelled her temper and muttered something about needing to learn to be more patient.

"Best friends, eh?" Vana drawled, looking up at the sky aloofly. "So who was on your genin team, sensei?"

Ino smiled then. "Why, Chouji-san and Shikamaru-sensei, of course!"

Vana blinked, interest sparked. "Shikamaru-sensei? You mean Takuza's sensei?! The hunk of a jounin in a flak jacket? Ah, he's so dreamy!"

"What?!" sputtered Ino. Maji and Megumi threw their teammate a concerned look.

"Oooh, Ino-sensei! Does he have a girlfriend? Do you think he likes younger women? Awww, I wish I were on his team!"

"That lazy fool?!" Ino roared. "Pfft, as if anyone would want to date him! It's a wonder he even decided to teach a genin team!"

"Perfect!" Vana shouted, pumping her fist into the air. "I'll snatch him up easily!"

"Wh-wha—no! That's not what I meant! No, he's my—"

"He's your what?" asked her blonde student curiously, tilting her head.

"Ugh, nothing!" Ino screeched in aggravation. "Just get up and go find those scrolls like I told you to! Go. _Now!"_

At the shout, Ino's team scrambled to its feet and took off, not wanting to linger to face her wrath. Once they were gone, Ino sighed in relief. What was she going to say? He was her _what_?

Ino shook her head and settled down to wait for her team to return.


	5. Summer

**acclimation;** o5.) _summer_—

* * *

The languid air whistled through her fringe, pushing her pale bangs across her peaceful, sleeping face. Shikamaru smiled at the sight, and lifted a hand to brush back a few strands that had caught on her dark lashes. She always fell asleep when she was cloud-watching with him, and it infuriated her to no end. The image of her last temper tantrum brought a wider smile to his face, and he allowed her a few more moments of sleep.

The shadows lengthened as the sun disappeared over the horizon, and, after one last moment to savor her calm face, Shikamaru shook Ino awake.

She blinked slowly at first, regaining her senses and reasserting herself. She mumbled something unintelligible, and heaved herself up onto her elbows.

"Ugh, did I fall asleep again?" she groaned. Shikamaru grinned, then schooled his features into controlled disinterest. "How do you do it?" she asked, staring down at him still lying on the ground.

"I don't just aimlessly watch clouds. I think, mostly."

Sitting up, Ino stared at the darkening sky as she yawned. "So where are you headed after this?"

"Dinner with my students. Yakiniku Q, just like Asuma used to take us."

Her eyes softened, and she smiled. "Must be great having a team that gets along, hmm?"

"Yours doesn't?"

"Not really. Well, they don't fight, but they don't mesh well either. Ugh, how did Asuma do it?"

"Patience, and lots of it."

"Must be easy for you. Don't have to overexert yourself when they have an argument, hmm?"

He frowned. "It's more than that. I try to understand them on their level. They're only genin, but that doesn't mean they don't have their own troubles."

"Wow, you're really into this, aren't you?" She poked him in the side.

"Have you ever tried interacting with them outside of an academic setting?"

"Not really. Vana's so self-absorbed, I doubt she'd even care to show up to anything that wasn't required of her. Maji and Megumi are very quiet. They show a lot of potential, but it's nothing if they don't break outside of their shell. Vana overshadows them often when she shows off, so I think they're a bit scared to attempt to show her up."

"You need to break the barriers between them if you ever hope to have a well-functioning genin team."

Ino stared off into the sky. "And how do you suggest that?"

Shikamaru was about to speak up when a thought struck Ino.

"Oh!" she beamed, her eyes illuminated. "I know! We'll join you for your team dinners!"

He sputtered, sitting up, about to protest.

"It'll be perfect! And then we'll all get to know each other, and go on dual team missions!"

He blinked, wondering what had gotten her so excited. "Ino…"

"It's great! Thanks for the idea, Shika!" She crushed him in a giant hug, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. "When do you guys usually have dinner?"

"Th-Thursday night, but—"

"Well, we can't obvious do it today, but next week for sure!" Ino bolted to her feet, her face bright. Shikamaru sighed in defeat.

Ino was about to bounce away, when a thought came to her. "Uh, you might want to watch out for Vana, though."

"Why?"

"Oh, you'll see. Bye!"

Shikamaru groaned.


	6. Tremble

**acclimation; **o6.) _tremble__**—**_

* * *

"Shikamaru-sensei!"

The shrill shriek came from behind him, and Shikamaru cringed at the noise. He turned around hesitantly, and frowned when he saw a blonde girl swiftly making her way toward him, bouncing all the while.

Who was she? He raised a brow as she approached and, when she didn't slow as she neared, shrank away in an attempt to put more distance between them.

Behind the skipping girl, Ino rolled her eyes at the antics of her former teammate. Always scared around girls, he was. Then again, the one headed his way was very hyperactive and loud, not unlike herself. She smiled when Vana attached herself to Shikamaru's arm and squealed a greeting.

"Hello…" Shikamaru began uncertainly, holding his arm out as to keep the girl far away from him.

"Vana!" shouted Takuza, pulling his cousin away from his sensei. "What are you doing?"

"I am just introducing myself to Shikamaru-sensei!" she growled at him, ripping her arm from his firm grip.

Ino giggled as she sidled up to Shikamaru, leaning her elbow onto his shoulder. Megumi and Maji followed after their teacher, standing behind her as they surveyed the scene. Ino snickered as Takuza and Vana began to argue.

Letting out an agitated growl, Takuza spoke up, "Don't ruin this for me, Vana, just like you do everything else!"

"Oh, please, Takuza! It's not my fault you suck at everything! Besides, it's fate that made you, one of Shikamaru-sensei's students, my cousin! We're so obviously meant to be together!"

Behind them, Ino laughed as Shikamaru muttered, "What in the world…"

"Ah, take it as a compliment," Ino said at his side. "You really have a thing for blondes, don't you?"

"I have a thing for blondes? They apparently have a thing for me," he answered, irritation beginning to grow. First Ino forced her way into his team's bonding time, and now one of her students had a crush on him? "Troublesome," he mumbled to himself, leading the way to Yakiniku Q, Takuza and Vana's argument loudly following them down the street.

People were beginning to take notice, and Shikamaru was starting to feel uncomfortable. At least Vana was so caught up with her squabble against her cousin that she was no longer bothering him.

"Hey," Ino announced as she walked beside him, their six students trailing behind like baby ducks, "at least she has good taste in men."

Shikamaru threw her a look at her latest statement.

Apparently she thought nothing of it, as she kept strolling down the street, unaware of how her words had affected him. What had she meant by that?


	7. Move

**acclimation;** o7.) _move_—

* * *

With a huff, Takuza heaved the large crate onto the growing stack in Ino-sensei's apartment and asked, "Is this all of it?"

Behind him, Houzumi hefted a smaller box onto the pile, and stood back, eyeing their work. "I think so, right, Ino-sensei?"

"Yes!" crooned the blonde jounin, clasping her hands together. "Aren't you two just so adorable? Thank you so much for helping me move these boxes of flower bulbs! I'd ask my genins, but they seem to have disappeared this morning…" she trailed off.

"Wonder why," Houzumi mumbled to Takuza, throwing a pointed look at the large number of boxes they had carried up to Ino's second floor apartment. Takuza offered a nervous laugh, then wiped his brow and brushed off dirt from his shirt.

"So, we'll be off then," he announced, grabbing Houzumi's hand and tugging him away before Ino-sensei found more work for them to do.

Ino sighed in defeat the sight of the genins running from her, and spoke aloud to their retreating forms, "If only I still had someone to help me."

"Eh?" Takuza uttered, stopping abruptly, causing Houzumi to slam into his back. When the smaller boy began to grumble, Takuza turned around and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Ino looked up, surprised to see the two of them still in her apartment. "Huh?"

"What you said, about not having someone to help you anymore."

Ino started, unaware he had heard her. "Oh, it's nothing. I mean, my dad used to help me carry these boxes all the time, but that was before the war…anyway, it's nothing. Don't worry about it. Tell Shikamaru I said hello!"

"You're thinking about what Shikamaru-sensei said yesterday, aren't you?" spoke Houzumi by his side.

"Yeah, Shikamaru-sensei was talking about team bonds and friendship, and he said he'd do absolutely anything for his close friends."

Titling her head, Ino stared at the two boys. Why were they telling her this?

"Well, Shikamaru-sensei said that you were one of his really close friends, so I guess that means he'll help you do anything if you ask him."

Ino, raising a brow, smirked. "Did he now?"

The devious look on her face sent chills down the boys' spines. They shared a glance, then muttered their goodbyes as they raced out the door.

At their exit, Ino smiled to herself and said, "Well, you learn something new every day."


	8. Companion

**acclimation;** o8.) _companion_—

* * *

The inspector lowered his head to the numerous buckets dotting Shikamaru's apartment and said definitively, "Yeah, you're going to have to move out for a while."

Shikamaru sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. The constant drip of the rainwater through his roof caused a rhythmic noise that, after two days, had irritated him even more than Ino's incessant chatter. By the time the landlord had hired someone to come look at it, Shikamaru had thrown out several bucketfuls of water.

"How long is it going to take to repair the roof?" he dared to ask.

"At the rate the rain is destroying roofs in the village, it'll probably be two weeks before we can get to yours, then maybe a week for repairs," the inspector answered languidly.

"Three weeks?! Where am I supposed to stay for three weeks?"

"Your parents? Friends? Sorry, kid, but you've got to wait your turn."

"Yeah, thanks," Shikamaru voiced as he walked the man out of his apartment. As he closed the door, he pondered where he would stay. His mother's house was the most obvious option, but seeing as she had finally settled in after his father's death, he didn't really want to be a burden. That, and he really just didn't want to be around her constant nagging. _Don't sleep in so late! Wash your dishes after you eat! Feed the deer! Find a wife!_

Ugh, he was better off sleeping in the Nara forests.

Well, Chouji was out of the picture too. He and his newlywed wife had settled down in their own place at the edge of the village, and he didn't want to intrude on them.

The next option was Ino, as much as he hated to admit. He couldn't see himself lounging around at someone else's house for three weeks, and Ino was one of his closer friends. He sighed, knowing she was lord this over his head for the next year or so.

The Nara forest were looking more and more appealing by the minute.

After packing a bag of clothes and various other necessities, he slung it over his shoulder and began the trek to Ino's apartment. It wasn't too far, of that he was thankful, but he wasn't sure what her reaction would be when he showed up on her doorstep. He knew she wouldn't turn him away, but it would obviously be after a moment of teasing.

He was right, of course. Ino leaned against her doorway, arms folded, smirking at him.

"And what makes you think I'll take your homeless, lazy butt in?" she inquired.

"Ino," he began, tired after a long day of hauling water out his window. "Just let me stay with you."

"For three weeks?" she exclaimed. "Hey, just because you said you'd do anything for me doesn't mean I'll return the favor!"

Shikamaru blinked. "What?"

Waving a hand in the air, Ino looked away from his prying eyes. "Nothing, nothing. Fine, come in. But you're going to be doing your share of the housework, you hear?"

"Yes, mother," he voiced, following after her into the living room.

"What was that?!" Ino huffed, turning back to him.

"Nothing," he assured her, smirking.


	9. Outside

**acclimation;** o9.) _outside_—

* * *

Shikamaru yawned, stretching his arms over his head.

"You tired, Shika-sensei?" Yukari asked, running to catch up with her teacher, her dark hair flouncing behind her. A cacophony of noises rang out from the surrounding forests, announcing the quick approach of evening.

"Uh, yeah, just a bit," he answered her, suppressing another yawn. "The roof of my apartment is leaking, so I'm bunking with a friend for the next few weeks until it's repaired. I haven't gotten used to the couch yet."

"Oh. Who are you staying with?"

"Shikamaru-sensei!" came Takuza's whining voice from behind them.

They turned around to see the blonde-haired boy slouched over as he walked, his head hung low.

"Are we there yet?" he asked for the tenth time that day. Houzumi threw him an exasperated look as Yukari sighed.

"Nope," Shikamaru answered briefly, looking up at the darkening sky. "We'll keep going for another hour or so, then bunk down for the night. We're almost there though. Should arrive before noon tomorrow."

"Ugh!" exclaimed Takuza. "Why are we going so far just to help an old lady pluck her apple trees?"

"Because we were hired to, that's why," came Yukari's snarky response. "Shika-sensei says D-rank missions are crucial to Konoha's economy, no matter how annoying they are."

Shikamaru spoke, "Just be glad we aren't going to Suna. That's a three day journey even for the fastest ninja."

"Oh really?" snickered Takuza unexpectedly. "I know you're lazy and all, but wouldn't you find some way to get to Suna faster?"

Turning to face his students, he noticed the curious glances directed his way. "Eh?"

"Naruto says you have a special friend in Suna," Houzumi explained.

Shikamaru, eyes narrowed in thought, stared at his three students. What rumors was Naruto spreading around the village? He turned back to face the road ahead and said simply, "I have friends in Suna, yes."

"No, no!" said Takuza, suddenly finding energy to bounce up to his teacher, walking backwards to face Shikamaru directly. "A _special friend_. You know, a really, really good friend." His wiggled his brows for emphasis.

"Ino and Chouji are in Konoha. What other 'special friend' would be waiting for me in Suna?"

"You know!" Takuza cried, waving his hands around emphatically. "Your honey boo, your beloved, sweetie pie, lover—"

"I think he gets it," Yukari interjected at the strange look that crossed their teacher's face.

The jounin stopped abruptly for a few moments in the middle of the road, seemingly lost to the world. His three students paused as well, sharing curious glances between each other.

"No," said Shikamaru-sensei suddenly. "Pretty sure my 'special friend' is still in Konoha."

Without another word, he marched forward, leaving his stunned students standing in the pathway, speechless.


	10. Dinner

**acclimation;** 1o.) _dinner_—

* * *

From the kitchen, Ino heard the front door open. She nearly jumped out of her skin before she remembered that Shikamaru had moved in for a while. He'd been only there for two days before he and his genins were swept up in an overnight mission to the edge of the Land of Fire, and she had momentarily forgotten she had allowed him to stay while his roof was being repaired.

"Shika!" she sang out, continuing chopping up the carrots for her dinner. Well, their dinner now. "You're finally back?"

A lone grunt was all she received back, and she quelled the urge to shout at him. He was undoubtedly tired from his long journey. She heard him shuffle into the kitchen as she continued preparing the stew for dinner.

"What are you doing?" he asked, coming up behind her and looking over a shoulder.

"Cooking dinner."

"You cook?" She could hear the disbelief in his voice. Turning around, she brandished her knife in his face, watching in amusement as he shrank back.

"Well, duh. You think I live off of take-out like you and the rest of the guys? Please," she said, and rolled her eyes.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Never took you for the housewife type."

"It's either cook or starve. What do you think I'd do?"

"Well, what are you making?"

"A stew!" she answered brightly. "I usually make it for my mom when I go see her, but since she's off to visit her sister, I thought I'd make it for myself. And you too, now that you're home. I mean, back from your mission." She coughed and turned back to the stove to hide her embarrassment at her slip-up, but it seemed that Shikamaru hardly noticed. He hardly ever did, Ino thought to herself.

On the contrary, Shikamaru had noticed, and was slightly shocked to hear her words. He had to admit, though, the idea was not unwelcome. He figured he could get used to living with Ino for the next couple of weeks, especially if she planned on cooking every night. Nothing beat a home-cooked meal, and he had been living off of instant ramen and Chinese takeout since he moved out of his mom's house.

The fragrance from the stew on the stove wafted his way, and he breathed deeply. It smelled delicious.

Yeah, he could get used to this.


	11. Simple

**acclimation;** 11.) _simple_—

* * *

Ino knelt in the dirt, packing the ground firm around the budding flower she had just planted. With a sigh of contentment, she sat back on her hunches and eyed her work, the long rows of buds placed neatly within her late father's flower garden.

She was about to gather her tools and return inside to wash up with a figure ambled into her backyard. Lifting her head, she smiled at the newcomer and called out, "Megumi! How are you?"

The shy girl waved, her large, brown eyes open in wonder at the flourishing flower garden. "Wow, Ino-sensei," she said in awe, "did you plant all of these?"

"Well, some of them were planted by my father a few years ago, but most of them I planted myself."

"How do you find time to take care of a such a large garden?"

Ino laughed. "Hmm, I don't find it too hard. I love flowers, so it's just natural for me to want to be out here. And truthfully, I guess I feel closest to my father when I'm tending his flower garden." She fingered the flower petal as she reminisced about a time long gone when she would play at the edge of the field while her father tended his plants. Giving her head a shake, she looked up at her student and asked if she could be of any assistance.

"Well, I have a question, I guess. Ino-sensei, you're pretty knowledgeable about relationships right?"

That sparked the blonde's interest immediately. "Of course! Ask away, Megumi!"

Sheepishly, Megumi took a seat and lowered her eyes, gently tracing a leaf on the stem of a tulip. "So, I was just wondering…how do you know if starting to like someone?"

Ino squealed inwardly. "So who are we talking about?" she proded.

Megumi immediately flushed. "N-n-no one! I'm just asking…"

"Is it Maji?" That much was obvious. The amount of time those two spent together while Vana ranted about her skills would have undoubtedly made any two people close.

"Wha-?" Megumi shook her head fervently, but Ino could see past her pretense.

"Well," the blonde began, "you start off just enjoying their presence. Soon you'll always want to be around them, or just the sight of them brightens your day."

"Oh," the young genin finally said. "So what do I do about it? I mean, what if he doesn't like me like that?"

Unable to help the giggle that erupted, Ino quieted herself and answered, "Just take your time. Let a friendship develop first, and really get to know him. It's better to take things slow than to rush it. You guys should be really good friends before you jump headfirst into anything. Trust me on this."

"Ah." Megumi nodded, lost in thought. "Kinda like you and Shikamaru-sensei, right?"

It was Ino's turn to fluster. "What? No, no, we're not like that! We're just good friends. Just good friends. Nothing else."

Megumi nodded, a certain gleam in her eye. "Thank you, Ino-sensei! I'll keep that in mind." Before Ino could respond, she jumped up and bounded away, her short hair bobbing as she ran.

Ino, dumbfounded, sat unmoving in her flower garden, pondering her student's words.


	12. Knowledge

**acclimation;** 12.) _knowledge_—

* * *

"Naruto."

"Nope. He's way too loud."

"Um, Hyuuga Neji."

"Pfft, too awkward. Hyuuga's wouldn't allow it."

"Kiba."

"Too smelly."

"Lee-sensei?"

"If Naruto's too loud, then Lee-sensei would be too enthusiastic. Someone else."

"Aburame Shino?"

"Maybe. He's pretty quiet. Write his name down."

"Chouji-san?"

"Nah, he just got married. Why would Shikamaru-sensei intrude on them?"

"What about his mom?"

"Whoa, no. She's a nag, remember? That's the last place he'd want to go."

"Well, I'm out of ideas. Who else would Shikamaru-sensei be staying with?"

Yukari put her pen down and sighed. "What does it matter, anyway?"

"Because!" Takuza exclaimed from her right. "He's been acting weird lately! And the only thing that's changed is where he's sleeping."

"How do you know? Maybe something happened in his social life, or he started a new medication. There's plenty of reasons why he's acting different."

"Yukari, I have to go with Takuza on this one," Houzumi spoke up. His cousin turned and gave him a curious glance. "I think it's because of who he's staying with. He's…more at ease lately. Relaxed, less likely to get frustrated when we don't understand what he's teaching."

Yukari raised a brow. "Like I said, it's probably just something he's taking. You're thinking too hard about it!"

"Hey," Takuza announced, his face lighting up, "maybe it's his special person!"

"Eh?"

"You know! When we were going on the overnight mission. He said his special person was in Konoha! Maybe he's staying with them?"

Houzumi nodded keenly. "Yeah! That makes sense, right, Yukari?"

The girl frowned at her two teammates. They had a point, she conceded. "Well, who do you think his special person is then?" she questioned.

"Hmmm." Takuza furrowed his brows, a finger on his chin. "Well, we know he likes girls that aren't annoying like his mom. So someone quiet, and probably intelligent."

"Hyuuga Hinata, maybe?"

"A little too quiet. Doesn't she have a thing for Naruto, though?"

"Um, Tenten-sensei?"

"Eh, maybe. Okay, write her name down."

"Nope!" Yukari called out, scratching out what Houzumi had just written. "I saw her with Hyuuga Neji the other day."

"What? That doesn't mean anything!" With a scowl, Takuza snatched the pen from Yukari's hand and attempted to rewrite the name again.

"You weren't there, but I know what I saw! Tenten-sensei's off limits."

"Fine," Tazuka said, handing back the pen. Yukari took it with smug satisfaction.

"Oh, I know!" piped up Houzumi. "Naruto's friend, the pink-haired one. What's her name?"

"That works in the hospital? Sakura-san?"

"Yes!"

"She's pretty smart. I bet Shikamaru-sensei likes her."

"Yeah, we'll write her down."

"Hmm, anyone else?"

Their list had a measly three names on it. Team Shikamaru wracked their brains, but couldn't imagine anyone else their teacher was close friends with. After a moment, Yukari meekly spoke, "Ino-sensei?"

A beat of silence, then all three genins burst out into thunderous laughter.

"Good one, good one!" Tazuka gasped out between guffaws, slapping Yukari on the back.

Yukari herself was uncontrollable in her laughter, two hands clamped onto her mouth to stifle the noise. Beside her, Houzumi was wiping away tears.

"Did I miss something?" said their jounin instructor, easily walking up to his students, eyebrows high on his forehead in concern.

It was several moments before any of them could stop laughing to speak.

"Nothing," Yukari finally managed to say. She giggled again, mumbling under her breath, "Ino-sensei, right."

Shikamaru frowned at his genins. What had they been discussing?


	13. Formal

**acclimation;** 13.) _formal_—

* * *

Throwing clothes over her shoulder, Ino frantically searched for her purple sequined dress, digging through the pile of shirts and pants scattered on the floor of her closet. She groaned in frustration when she hit the floor, her dress nowhere to be found. Didn't she pick it up from the dry cleaner's last week? Where had she put it?

From outside her bedroom, Shikamaru shouted something to her.

"What?" she hollered back, turning her head slightly to direct her voice out of the small closet.

"I said…where did you…my traveling pack…table…"

Ino ripped through her closet one last time, desperation making her frantic. Her date was in three hours! What if she wasn't ready by then? She stood and hastily ran through the dresses hanging up, debating which one would make a good first impression. As she neared the last of her repertoire, she felt anxiety bubble up in her stomach. If she didn't find a good outfit, she'd be doomed!

One hanger left. She pushed back last season's one-shouldered flower dress, praying the next one would seal the deal, and groaned when her eyes landed on the outfit pushed to the end of her closet.

It was her old purple chuunin ensemble, the belly-bearing two-piece she had stopped wearing about a year ago.

It wouldn't do, for obvious reasons, but Ino couldn't help the affectionate look as she ran her fingers over the worn cloth.

"We had some great times, didn't we?" she said quietly, fingering the short skirt.

She picked up the hanger, intent on having a proper look at her favorite outfit in adequate lighting for more reminiscing, but when she turned around, she abruptly bumped into someone standing behind her. She squealed in shock.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if you've lost it," Shikamaru voiced, looking down at the girl talking to her clothes in her closet.

Ino grumbled back, "What are you doing in here?" as she pushed past him into her bedroom. Maybe she threw it in one of her numerous wardrobes.

"I was asking if you knew what happened to my traveling pack. The one I left on the kitchen table. You never answered, so I came looking for you." Shikamaru followed her, eyeing the outfit in her hand.

"Um, I think I put it in your room. Did you check there?" She threw the outfit onto her bed, stalking over to a wardrobe and pulling it open to flip through her garments hung inside.

Shikamaru lifted the outfit off the bed, inspecting it. "How come you don't wear this anymore?"

"Ah ha! I found it!" she screamed in delight, pulling out a purple cocktail dress, sequined across the front, with a small bow in the back. She turned back to Shikamaru. "Oh that? Hmm, it's old. I outgrew it."

"Outgrew it? You loved this outfit."

"It's time is up. Fashion is always moving, changing, never constant. I was so out-of-date in that thing."

"You wore it for years."

"Fine, one of my few fashion faux pas, but I adored it, okay? Anyway, I can't even really wear it anymore. Now get out, I have to get ready!"

"Get ready? For what?" he asked as Ino began pushing him out of her room.

"My date! Now get out!"

"Your date?" Stunned, Shikamaru didn't resist once he was beyond Ino's doorway.

"Yes. He's coming in three hours! I hardly have any time!"

Before he could say another word, the door slammed in his face. Growling, he stood there for several moments, staring at her door, unease stirring in the pit of his stomach.

_A date?_


	14. Innocent

**acclimation; **14.) _innocent_—

* * *

Something was wrong with Shikamaru-sensei that day.

Be it his medication, a change in his social situation, or a different sleeping arrangement, even Yukari couldn't deny that something was terribly wrong.

"Shika…sensei…can we stop?" moaned Houzumi, slowing from his sprint and taking two feeble steps before falling to his hands and knees. Takuza followed soon thereafter, twisting to land on his back, taking in large, gasping breaths. Without any warning, Yukari came up to her boys and dropped wearily on them suddenly, the two boys yowling in pain.

"No. We're not done. Get up."

Takuza groaned from underneath Yukari, begging, "Sensei, please? We've already been running for thirty minutes."

"You need to build your endurance. Start sprinting again."

Houzumi, attempting to stand while still pinned down, rose up onto his knees for several moments before falling back to the ground in a cloud of dust.

"Yukari, get up," he spoke raggedly from underneath his cousin. In response, she only grumbled.

"What's with you guys today?" Shikamaru asked with concern, pulling his cigarette out of his mouth.

"What's with _us_ today? What's wrong with _you_," Takuza mumbled under his breath. Houzumi snorted in agreement.

As the trio finally managed to get back on their feet, a loud, piercing voice broke through the clearing of their training ground.

"Shikamaru-senseeeeeeei! Oh, Shiiiiiiiiiiiikamaru-sensei!"

Takuza nearly gaged. The last thing they needed was his cousin barging in on them when their sensei was off his game.

Vana popped around the trees and bounced her merry way over to Shikamaru, eyes glowing with joy. Shikamaru merely graced her with a lazy expression.

"Shikamaru-sensei!"

No response. Vana's glow dimmed only slightly for a moment before it was back full force.

"Ino-sensei would like to know if you like yakitori for dinner? I don't know why, she was heading off to get ready for her date with her new boyfriend."

With only rough "Yeah" in response, Shikamaru looked back at his genins, who shivered underneath his gaze. "Get back to running."

They jumped up and immediately started running, not giving their sensei another glance.

"Is something wrong, Shikamaru-sensei?" Vana asked innocently as she watched her fellow genins running in fear.

He grunted, taking another drag from his cigarette.

"Aw, I know what will cheer you up!"

"Hmm?" Before Shikamaru could speak further or prepare himself, Vana came up close and pecked him on the lips, seemingly unfazed by the smoke or the impropriety of her actions.

From the other side of the field, Takuza's scandalized scream of "Vana!" and Houzumi and Yukari's subsequent shouts from crashing into an immobile Takuza were heard.

With a flirty wink, Vana smoothed out her shirt and flounced away, leaving behind a stunned Shikamaru, cigarette falling from his limp fingers.

* * *

**Author Note:** Shout out to_ scarlet letters in snow_ and _I'm Not A Princess_ for all their lovely reviews. :)


	15. Youth

**acclimation**; 15.) _youth_—

* * *

Shikamaru idly flipped through another one of Ino's fashion magazines. The blonde had yet to emerge from her bedroom, not that Shikamaru blamed her. She did return from her date late the night before, half-draped across her boyfriend.

He supposed he shouldn't have opened the door the minute they appeared at the doorstep. The look of surprise on her boyfriend's face was priceless though, and his relief when he left with palpable, having taken Shikamaru for an overly concerned older brother (not that this was far from the truth). Ino, however, was not so amused. She pushed her way past Shikamaru and locked herself in her room for the rest of the night. He wasn't quite sure what mood she'd be in that morning.

To his immense relief, it was a sunny one. Ino appeared from her bedroom all smiles and sugar candy, almost emanating sunshine with her glorious mood. This, for some reason, irked Shikamaru.

"Hello, Shika!" she called out as she passed him on her way to the kitchen.

"Hn," he drawled out in response.

She paused. "What's got you in a sour mood today?"

"Nothing."

Ino paused, perplexed at her teammate's behavior. "Is this about last night? Sorry. Daisuke called me out of the blue and said he was taking me to dinner. Did you enjoy the yakitori?"

"Hn."

Ino rolled her eyes, then grimaced. "Have you been smoking?" she asked, walking around the couch and dropping beside the moping jounin. She pulled him close by grabbing a handful of his shirt, causing him to drop the magazine, and sniffed him. "You have!" she announced, pushing him away in disgust. "What did I tell you?!"

"That girls won't want to kiss me if I smell like smoke?" he deadpanned as he reached for his lost magazine.

"Well, yes, that too, but not that I what I meant. You could—"

"Vana didn't seem to mind the other day."

Blinking in surprise, Ino's mouth dropped open. "That's right! I totally forgot! I was on my way out the door when Vana said she got her first kiss from you."

"I did not kiss her. She kissed me."

Ino snickered, leaning back in her seat. "Look at you, getting all the young girls. No one around your age want you? And what's with you and giving blonde girls their first kiss?"

Shikamaru put down his magazine, quirking a brow. "Seriously? You seem to forget that you asked for it."

"I did, didn't I?" Ino leaned forward and plucked the magazine from his hands. She flipped through it apathetically before throwing it over her shoulder. "We got pretty good, didn't we?"

She was close. Far too close, in Shikamaru's opinion. The girl he had practice make-out sessions when they were fourteen was merely inches away from him, practically breathing on him. Her full lips were parted only slightly as she stared him down. He swallowed, and managed, "Yeah."

"'S pity you never got much practice after me," she said, eyeing his lips.

"I had plenty. Three girlfriends since."

"Please. Yumi told me how 'troublesome' it was for you to initiate any sort of physical contact. That's why she broke up with you, if you didn't know."

"And what does it concern you?"

"Nothing," she said, her eyes flitting from his lips to his eyes several times before drawing back. "It's just a shame that all the work I put into you won't get much use."

"Tch," Shikamaru answered, straightening in his seat and regaining his composure. "Don't be so quick to judge." He stood, and reached into his pocket. His banter with Ino had left him irritated for some reason.

"What are you doing?" Ino asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Going out for a smoke." He pulled the packet from his pocket and headed for the door.

"You're going to kill yourself someday."

"I'll die a shinobi's death first."

For once, Ino couldn't argue.

* * *

**Author Note:** Ha, I really enjoyed your reactions to Vana's bold kiss. Unfortunately, things will get worse for Shikamaru and Ino before they get better. Hey, it wouldn't be one of my fanfics if it didn't have a bit of angst in there.


	16. Accusation

**acclimation; **16.) _accusation_—

* * *

Their sensei had seemed to mellow out in the past few days, which Takuza was immensely grateful for. While they were still "working on their endurance," as Shika-sensei had called it, even though it was clearly just Shika-sensei taking his pent-up anger out on them, he was much more relenting when it came to resting between sets of sprints.

Whatever had keyed Shika-sensei up, he seemed to be gradually coming to grips with it. They were headed to their weekly dinner with Ino-sensei's team, although it seemed to have become the weekly genin dinner in the past few weeks.

After running into Tenten-sensei's team some time ago at the same restaurant, they decided to join them out of courtesy. Lee-sensei heard, of course, and, in true Lee-sensei fashion, invited his own team to join in the "youthful genin dinner." They hadn't been able to get rid of him since.

They piled into the restaurant, and Takuza could clearly see that Shika-sensei was agitated. It was obvious he didn't like so many people at his team's weekly dinners, but there wasn't much it seemed he was doing to change anything. It was probably too troublesome. Yukari waved to her friend on Tenten-sensei's team while everyone found a seat.

Something else was strange about Shika-sensei, though. Lately, he seemed to have a particular smell that followed him around, and the familiarity was bothering Takuza. He knew it from somewhere, but wasn't able to place it. Why would Shika-sensei smell like that anyway?

After their food had been brought out and everyone was preoccupied with eating, it suddenly occurred to Takuza where he had smelled such an aroma before. It was when he and Houzumi were helping Ino-sensei carry boxes of flower bulbs up to her apartment, but why did Shika-sensei smell so strongly of it? The only possible way for that to be was if he were constantly at her apartment where the aroma would be strongest. Given how Shika-sensei seemed to be annoyed at Ino-sensei (which was pretty much every day, that troublesome woman), why would he spent so much time at her home?

The answer clicked, and before Takuza had processed his thoughts, spoke out during a lull in the conversation, "Shika-sensei, you're sleeping with Ino-sensei?"

Well, that came out all wrong, given the reactions around the table. Lee-sensei gasped from down the table, and Tenten-sensei immediately stopped speaking at the announcement. All eyes focused on Ino-sensei and Shika-sensei, and Takuza knew he was in trouble by the way his sensei's eyes were narrowed. Ino-sensei choked on her beverage, and slammed her cup down on the table, reaching for a napkin to wipe her mouth.

Everyone started speaking at once.

"Is it true? My dear friends have finally found their springtime of youth?!"

"Lee! Sit down!"

"What?! Ino-sensei, tell me this isn't true!"

"Hell no! Where did you hear that, Takuza?!"

"Wow, you're a lucky man, Shikamaru-sensei."

"No, that's not what I meant! I mean, I wanted to know—"

"Stop talking, Takuza! You're such a liar! Just because you don't want me getting with Shikamaru-sensei doesn't mean—"

"When did you two get together, Ino?"

"There is no way I'm sleeping with Shikamaru! That's ridiculous!"

"Didn't think you two could stand each other, but congratulations."

"Troublesome."

* * *

**Author Note:** Sorry this is a day late. If you follow my Tumblr (link in my bio), you'll see that I broke my Google Nexus 7 tablet. I was so sad and disappointed that it broke, so that's why I didn't update. Stupid reason maybe, but it's my baby and I do what I want.

This is the scene I've been wanting to write the entire month. I've had this idea of one of Shikamaru or Ino's students suddenly blurting out the thought that they were sleeping together when they weren't, shocking everybody in the process, but I never really had any plot surrounding it. It was just one scene, floating around in my head. I'm glad I got to incorporate it into this drabble series.

And a little commentary about chapter 15. One of my ShikaIno headcanons is that Shikamaru and Ino kind of experiment with each when they were going through puberty (hence, all the make-out practices—hey, a shipper can dream). If that means they were each other's first sexual partners, well, I'll leave that up to you. I want to keep this fic PG (or K+, if you're going with FFnet's ratings), and the only reason the rating would go higher (which it probably will) is because of dangerous, semi-violent situations.

(But I think they were.)


	17. Haze

**acclimation;** 17.) _haze_—

* * *

He met her on a bland autumn day.

He remembered it particularly because it was only day that someone hadn't come up to him in the past week to ask if he and Ino were really together or not. He was in the local market, picking up some fruits and vegetables that Ino had demanded he buy as compensation for sleeping on her couch (and apparently with her, as the rumors went), and he had trudged away without any complaint.

He still had another week to go before he could move back into his apartment, and by this time, he was regretting asking to crash at Ino's place. Besides Takuza spewing out falsities that they were sleeping together, Ino was getting increasingly agitated with "his lazy bum." In his defense, he did his fair amount of housework as she had asked, but perhaps the rumors were getting to her. Not that she was any stranger to rumors, but perhaps they were far too personal this time? Eh, whatever. It's not like Shikamaru knew what went through her head. If she screamed at him, he just did whatever was easiest to get her off his back.

So he was at the market, picking up some potatoes and strawberries, but only ones that were really red and not bruised at all because she was making it for Sakura's coming-home party and it would be terrible if she brought bruised strawberries, so look at them before you buy them, Shikamaru! And don't be lazy about it because I will send you back to buy better ones.

He sighed, as he always did in such situations, and dug through the packs of strawberries, making sure they were in tip-top shape.

"Are you looking for the best strawberries?" asked a voice beside him.

Shikamaru nearly jumped out of his skin. For a shinobi, he was oddly unaware of when the girl had walked up to him.

"Yeah, my friend's picky. Threatened to make me come all the way back here if I didn't bring back the best ones." He sighed again.

The girl laughed, pointing to a carton in the back. "How about those? They look pretty good."

"Uh, thanks," he mumbled as he picked them up. "Yeah, these are fine."

They kept talking as Shikamaru found the rest of the items on Ino's list. She was young, seventeen to Shikamaru's twenty-three, but she was smart, if soft-spoken, and her deep, dark brown eyes were gentle. Before he knew it, Shikamaru had found all of Ino's requests, and had asked the girl if he could see her again.

She laughed, and said, "I don't even know your name."

Sheepishly, Shikamaru replied, "Oh, yeah. It's Shikamaru."

"Emiko. Nice to meet you, Shikamaru-san."

"Nice to meet you too, Emiko-san."

* * *

**Author Note:** Bwahahahahaha. If you don't hate me yet, something's wrong with you.

Also, sorry this is late. I had two chapters to write this time and homework to do.


	18. Hidden

**acclimation;** 18.) _hidden_—

* * *

Ino dragged her finger across the raised flesh of her abdomen, frowning at herself in the mirror.

It was hideous, a souvenir from her last mission before becoming a sensei, her last B-ranked mission for the next few years, save special circumstances. It raked across the smooth expanse of her stomach, starting underneath her left breast and spanning diagonally across the entirety of her front. It was a deep wound, one that chakra could not fully heal, and thus had become an angry, bumpy scar for her to tote around for the rest of her days.

It was reason she had given up her favorite purple outfit; there was no way Ino could ever wear a two-piece outfit or a bikini ever again. She sighed, stroking the raised scar as she applied scar diminishing cream, knowing fully well it wouldn't do much.

There weren't many who knew the extent of the damage. She had spent a few days in the hospital, but she played off the severity of her injury to her friends, not wanting to spread the knowledge of her blemished beauty.

Ino was about to apply the last of the cream when her door suddenly opened, and Shikamaru appeared unannounced in her doorway.

"Ino, where are your—"

The small jar of scar cream clattered to the floor in Ino's haste to pull down her shirt. It spilled across the floor, causing Ino to lash out in anger.

"Look what you did! Don't you know how to knock?!"

It seemed as if Shikamaru hadn't heard her. He came forward and pushed her arms away, reaching to lift up her shirt.

Ino flushed. "What are you doing?!" she demanded, trying to impede his arms, but he easily dodged her attempts at stopping him. He narrowed his eyes once her abdomen was shown, her scar bared to his eyes.

"What is this?" he questioned her, his voice hard.

"It's a scar," she said simply.

"From your last B-rank mission? When you were in the hospital?" His voice was rough and thin, strained.

"Yeah," she admitted guiltily. She had underplayed the gravity of her wounds, mostly because she knew Shikamaru would make a fuss about it. The last thing she wanted was him to know how badly she had reacted on the mission to receive such an injury.

"Why didn't you…"

"Tell you? What good would that have done?" She pushed him away and angrily pulled her shirt down, bending over to clean up her mess. "The mission was a success, and I survived. That's all there is to it." Without another word, she placed the jar back on her dresser, and headed to the bathroom for a towel to wipe up the cream.

When she returned, Shikamaru was still in her room, his hands shoved into his pockets, his eyes shadowed.

"Don't you dare say anything to anyone, got it?" Ino spoke harshly. "There's a reason I didn't tell anyone."

"It's just a scar."

"Just a scar?! You saw it! It's hideous! I'm hideous!"

"You're not—"

"Don't say a thing to Daisuke, or I swear I will—ugh!" Frustrated, Ino threw her towel down, stomping over to Shikamaru. "Don't you dare tell him anything, Shikamaru. Don't you dare."

"Why?" he asked defiantly, staring her down. "He's your boyfriend. Shouldn't he know everything about you?"

"No! He doesn't need to know about this! He'll never look at me the same way. I'm disgusting with this ugly scar!"

"And what will you do when he finds out?"

Ino looked away. None of her boyfriends ever came close to knowing. She usually dumped them long before then.

"Just don't tell him. He's honest-to-goodness scared of you, like you're my father or something. That's why he hates picking me up here, since you're always breathing down his neck."

"I could care less what that idiot thinks—"

"Shikamaru, just stop. Just don't say anything to anyone. Now get out, I'm tired." Ino sighed, and motioned to the door, suddenly looking exhausted.

Shikamaru ran his eyes over her slouched posture, and, with one lingering glance, left her room.

* * *

**Author Note:** Sorry I've been slacking. It's the weekend, and we college kids like to party (and by party, I mean, play video and board games). So I have tomorrow off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so I'll hopefully get to catching up. My apologies.


	19. Friendship

**acclimation; **19.) _friendship_—

* * *

"When are you moving back to your apartment then?" asked Chouji, offering his bag of chips to his friend.

"Three days," Shikamaru answered simply, plucking a few chips from the bag. "Finally."

"You and Ino getting on each other's nerves that bad?"

"Nah, I just want to get back to my own place."

"Not what I heard. Ino tells me her boyfriend's scared shitless of you." Chouji gave a hearty laugh, which Shikamaru only shook his head to.

"Don't know why. It's not like I care what they do."

"Hey, he's a civilian. I'm sure he's scared of any shinobi he runs into. If my daughter ever has any civilian boyfriends, I'd make the most out of it." He laughed again.

Shikamaru raised a brow. Gentle Chouji scaring off his daughter's boyfriends? That'd be a sight to see. "Wait, daughter? Are you saying…?"

"Yeah, Kameko's pregnant." The father-to-be gave a bright smile.

"Congrats, Chouji." Shikamaru slapped him on the back. "It's only been what, six months since you tied the knot?"

"Yeah, but we're excited."

"I'm sure."

"What about you, eh, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru gave his old friend a look. "What?"

"I heard you have a new friend."

"Oh, yeah. Emiko. I'm sure Ino told you all about her."

"A little." Chouji continued munching on his chips, staring up at the sky. "Ino thinks you have a thing for her. Strangely though, Emiko's not a blonde."

"Ugh, Ino and her rumors." Shikamaru sighed, leaning back to lie on the grass.

"I kind of get the feeling that Ino doesn't take to her very well, huh?"

"Something like that. I can never figure that girl out."

"I honestly never thought you two would be the ones dating civilians and I'd be married to a ninja, but I guess that's how life goes."

"You want me to tell Tsunade to take Kameko off the active roster?"

"Nah, she wanted to tell the Hokage herself."

"Gotcha."

"So have you and Emiko gone on your first date yet?"

"Friday, after I move back in. Taking her to dinner, probably Yakiniku Q."

"Well, best of luck. Bring her by the house so I can meet her sometime."

"Yeah, sure thing."


	20. Farewell

**acclimation; **2o.) _farewell_—

* * *

"That's all of it?" Ino raised a brow at the meager bag Shikamaru had slung over his shoulder. "You've been here for three weeks and that's all you brought?"

"Yeah? You expected more?"

Ino frowned.

"You'll be alright? By yourself, at your apartment. I mean, you won't have anyone to cook for you or make you get enough sleep and all."

"Yeah, I'll be good. Emiko's coming over later."

"Oh, that's right. Emiko."

For once, Ino's voice was small and seemingly unsure; was Ino afraid to be alone? Shikamaru gave her a concerned gaze, but she huffed and put her hands on her hips, angrily matching his stare.

"What?! You think _I'm_ going to be worse off now that you're gone? Please! I'll finally have my place all to myself once you're out of here!"

"Fine, fine," Shikamaru said, suddenly tired of Ino's ranting. He'd been hearing it non-stop for the past three weeks, and he was more than glad to be done with it all. "Catch you around sometime."

And before she knew it, Shikamaru had gone out her front door, letting it slam closed after his departure.

Ino took a seat on her couch, staring at the door. The ticking of her clock on the wall seemed amplified now that she was no longer screeching at someone to take his feet off her couch or not to leave his dishes on the coffee table.

Ino frowned. Never had her apartment seemed so lonely before.


	21. Dissatisfaction

**acclimation;** 21.) _dissatisfaction_—

* * *

It was three months before Ino ran into Shikamaru again.

Her hands were full of shopping bags, stuffed to the brim with new outfits from her favorite boutiques in Konoha. She figured she deserved it. Unable to properly maneuver with all she was carrying, she bumped into someone and began apologizing profusely before lifting her head and noticing who stood before her.

"Shikamaru!" she called out, shocked to see him in this part of town.

He raised a brow at her collection of shopping bags. "I hope you're done for the day. You can't possibly be thinking about carrying more."

Ino huffed, annoyed at his disbelief in her abilities, shopping or otherwise. "Shows what you know! I'd be able to carry more if I so desired!"

Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru reached for the bags in Ino's right hand and took it without a word. Ino protested, but handed it over nonetheless. Leading the way back to her apartment, Shikamaru asked, "So what happened now?"

"What do you mean?" Ino retorted haughtily.

Shikamaru sighed at Ino's false sense of pride. "You're on a shopping spree. You usually only do that when you're feeling down, or something bad happens. You nearly went bankrupt when your favorite clothes store was going out of business."

Ino glared at him, but it was only halfhearted. Shikamaru knew her far too well, and she couldn't deny that she was down in the dumps that week. When they were finally out of the busy part of the street, Ino looked around apprehensively, then mumbled, "I broke up with Daisuke."

"What?"

"Oh, don't make me repeat it, Shika! I know you heard me."

"No, it's just…you really seemed to like him." Shikamaru glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, well, he was getting too clingy. Wanted me to stop being a kunoichi. No way in hell I was going to do that."

"So why did you date a civilian to begin with?"

Ino huffed, unwilling to answer. Finally, after a while, she admitted, "Because dating a shinobi is worse. After Asuma and my father…never again. Sometimes I think I'm just waiting for the day when I hear you and Chouji finally kicked the bucket."

Shikamaru paused, stunned at her words. "Ino—"

"Half the reason I became a sensei was so I wouldn't go on dangerous missions, at least for a while. And so what? I was glad to hear you were becoming a sensei too, because this way I know the worst thing that'll happen to you is getting scratched up by some stupid lost cat. And Chouji's too busy with his new wife to go on long missions. Yeah, I'm an insecure little girl, but at least I'll still have you two for a while yet."

They had reached her apartment building, and she angrily reached over and wrenched her shopping bags from Shikamaru before he could react.

"So no, I don't date shinobi, and I never will," she said with a growl, before entering the building without looking back.


	22. Seconds

**acclimation;** 22.) _seconds_—

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?" Emiko asked, after Shikamaru told her of Ino's latest news.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. Usually." He stretched out onto the grass, sliding his hands behind his head.

"Oh. I should bring her some peaches. You said she liked those, right?"

"No, keep your distance. She's pretty volatile during this stage." That, and Shikamaru wasn't quite sure how Ino would take to seeing Emiko. She never particularly took to his girlfriend, and he didn't want to set her off.

He wasn't quite sure why Ino seemed to harbor a grudge against Emiko. The younger girl matched him amazingly; calm, gentle, and definitely easy on the ears. In all the three months they had been dating, he had never heard her raise her voice, and she was amazing around children.

She definitely fit into his master plan for his life.

Beside him, Emiko started humming as she plucked a few flowers, stringing them together into a flower crown.

Staring at her, Shikamaru smiled. He was pretty much set for life. Marry Emiko, have a boy and girl, and gently ease his way into old age where he could retire and play shougi all day.

She was perfect for him, but a nagging feeling stirred in the back of Shikamaru's mind.

Perfect, maybe, for his life plan he thought up when he was younger, but things had changed, people had come and gone, and he wasn't the same twelve-year-old boy anymore.

He didn't deny that he secretly rejoiced when Ino broke up with Daisuke, but him and Ino?

There was hardly any chance it would ever happen, so he shifted his eyes over to his girlfriend and tried to persuade himself that second-best was better than nothing at all.

* * *

**Author Note:** I'm slipping, I know. I'll try to keep up.


	23. Decisive

**acclimation;** 23.) _decisive_—

* * *

Shikamaru took this as a bad sign.

He was kissing her, one hand on her cheek, the other on her waist, and all he could think about was silky, blonde hair and sky blue eyes.

It was a gentle, chaste kiss, and when they pulled away, Emiko was smiling demurely, not meeting his eyes, her cheeks dusted with a dash of pink.

It had only been two weeks since he decided Emiko would (_should_) be enough, but his heart didn't seem to be following his head on this one.

She was precisely what he had needed in his life, perfect to the letter.

And yet, he couldn't seem to make her square puzzle piece fit in jagged hole that waiting for his wife.

Emiko, sweet, innocent Emiko, was all that he could ever hope for, but not what he wanted.

"Emiko."

"Hmm?"

"We need to talk."

He was a terrible, terrible man.

* * *

**Author Note:** SHIKA, Y U SUCH A JERK?


	24. Away

**acclimation; **24.) _away_—

* * *

"Everyone ready?" Ino asked her students, hands on her hips.

"Yes!" Vana called out, pumping her fist.

"Yes, sensei," answered Megumi. She stood next to Maji, who blinked up at Ino. He usually didn't say much, but Ino could see the eagerness swimming in his red eyes. Ino had promised they would stop by the hot springs not far from their destination once they successfully completed their mission, and even he was excited.

"Alright, let's—"

"Ino."

"Eh?"

Before Ino could turn around to see who had spoken, Vana jumped up and screamed, "Shika-sensei!"

Shikamaru cringed at the noise. Ino had a haughty smile on her face as she walked up to him, noting the distance he kept from her hyper-active student, and tilted her head.

"You need something, Shika?"

"No. Just…be careful," he spoke quietly, eyeing Vana in case she decided to make any sudden movements in his direction.

Ino scowled. "It's just a stupid D-ranked mission. I can take care of myself and my students!"

"You just broke up with Daisuke. You know how unpredictable you can be after a breakup."

"I'm fine!" she exclaimed. She crossed her arms and stared at him down her nose. "For your information, I'm over him. I have a date with Mogawa once I get back."

Shikamaru started. "You're already seeing someone else?"

"Of course! How else am I going to find my prince charming if I don't keep looking?"

"I'd at least think you'd wait a while to mend your broken heart, or was Daisuke not even that important?"

Ino uncrossed her arms and gave Shikamaru a deep glare. "I'm a shinobi, if you've forgotten. We aren't assured long lives, and I'd like to have a decent chance at romance just once. Life's short, or did your father and Asuma's deaths not teach you anything?"

Enraged, Shikamaru was about to answer when Vana shouted behind them, "Inoooooooo-sensei! Are you done yet?"

"Yes, sorry! I'm coming!" Ino threw over her shoulder. Turning back to Shikamaru, she said tiredly, "I've got to go, but how about when I get back, we can double-date? You and Emiko, and me and Mogawa."

"We broke up."

It was said in such a straight-forward manner. Ino stared, blinking a few times. "You did what?"

Sighing, Shikamaru repeated, "We broke up, alright?"

"But—she was amazing! She was perfect! You said so yourself!" Flabbergasted, she stared open-mouthed at her friend.

He sighed again. "It's…it's complicated, okay?"

"Complicated? How? She was so calm and peaceful and hardly even spoke louder than a mouse, I could barely hear her sometimes! What do you mean it was complicated?"

"Ino...It had nothing to do with her. There's someone else and I just couldn't do that to her."

"Someone else?" Ino frowned. "_Someone else_? Who could have be so important that you'd dump perfect, little Emiko?!"

"No one. Aren't you supposed to be leaving?"

"Not before you tell who it is! How could you just drop Emiko like that? She was everything you ever asked for! What, are you in love or something?"

"Something like that," he answered simply, not meeting her eyes.

Ino stood silent for a moment, shocked to hear him say such a thing. "She must be amazing, if you'd choose her over Emiko. How long?"

"A few years," he admitted. Why was he even telling Ino this?

Blinking in surprise, Ino frowned. Shikamaru had been in love with someone for years and she never knew?! How did this happen?

"A few years? Have you told her yet?" she asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated, like I said."

"That's no excuse, Shika! Life is short, you never know when you'll be gone! Geesh, stop being a coward and tell her!"

Shikamaru glared at her. "It's none of your business. Shouldn't you be going?"

"None of my business? Who's going to look after you if I'm gone?"

That was not a possibility Shikamaru wanted to think about. Thankfully, before he could reply, Vana's shrill voice once again cut through their conversation.

"Ino-sensei! We need to get going!"

Ino half-turned, but kept her eyes on Shikamaru. "Tell her. Before it's too late, or you might regret it."

He didn't answer.

"I've got to go. Hey, you have a mission near the border in a few days, right?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Maybe we'll meet up on the way back. See ya, Shika."

* * *

**Author Note:** Well, we're getting somewhere. To answer your question, mdtiger, yes, this series will end on the 31st, so we've only got a few chapters left!


	25. Childish

**acclimation;** 25.) _childish_—

* * *

"Ino-sensei," Vana sighed, staring at Maji and Megumi before her. They were standing close, not touching, but occasionally bumping into each other as they walked.

They had just completed their mission near the border of the Land of Fire. A farmer's livestock was constantly being attacked by wild animals, and Team Ino had been sent to take care of the problem. It was an easy job, even if it did take several days to find and trap the attackers, and they were currently on their way to the hot springs.

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'll ever fall in love?" Vana asked with a downcast look on her face.

"What? You're only thirteen! You have plenty of time to fall in love!"

"But…Shikamaru-sensei doesn't even notice me." She blew out a huff of air.

Ino couldn't help a laugh. "First crushes never go the way you want them to, but don't worry. You'll find your prince charming someday!"

"How can you saw that?" Vana threw her a questioning look. "You're twenty-three and you don't even have a steady boyfriend!"

"Eh!" Ino was taken aback. She sputtered, trying to formulate a witty retort, but Vana interrupted her.

"I mean, look at Maji and Megumi!" She pointed towards her teammates walking some ways in front of them. "It's so obvious they like each other, but they're not doing anything about it! I don't even think I've ever seen them hold hands!"

"Vana, everyone's relationship moves at a different pace. You don't have to rush things, you know."

"Ugh, I just want to be special to someone."

_You and me both_, Ino thought, the sudden image of spiky, black hair and lazy eyes flashing through her mind. She shook her head of the notion and said, "Aw, cheer up! Maybe you'll meet someone at the hot springs." She winked at her student.

Vana immediately brightened. "Shikamaru-sensei and his team are going to meet us there, right?"

"Uh, yes, but that's not what I meant—"

"Well, what are you waiting for? I have my prince charming to meet!" The genin took off at a run, blowing past her teammates.

"Vana! Wait up!"


	26. Guarded

**acclimation;** 26.) _guarded_—

* * *

Shikamaru stretched his arms out over his head, letting out a yawn. The gentle chatter of the genins provided an amicable backdrop to their journey from the hot springs. Beside him, Ino gave him a smile and skipped to match his lazy pace.

"Enjoy yourself?" she piped up cheerily.

"Yeah," he answered simply as they continued on their way. He always hated long trips away from the village, but the hot springs did wonders for his sore muscles.

"So…how about that double-date?" she asked, breaking the silence they had fallen into.

His mood suddenly dampened, he sighed. "I told you, I broke up with Emiko."

"But what about that other girl? The one you said you were in love with."

"I never said—"

"Yes, you did! Have you told her yet?"

Another sigh. "There wasn't any time."

"You were in the village for three days before your mission! What did I tell you?"

"It's not that simple, Ino."

"Ugh! You are such a scaredy-pants, Shika!

"This has nothing to do with you—"

A loud crashing noise from the surrounding forestry shut Shikamaru's mouth. A large oak tree fell soundly in their path, nearly crushing Takuza and Yukari had Maji not rushed forward and pulled them back. Several dark figures dropped from the treetops in front of them, a motley group of scarred faces and hardened features.

Shikamaru and Ino ran forward, grabbing their students and pushing them behind. One hunched over figure stood and slowly crept his way forward, his one working eyes glinting in the afternoon sun. He wore an Iwa headband, a horizontal line slashed through the symbol.

"Missing-nin," Ino said cautiously.

"Never seen any of them in the bingo books," Shikamaru answered, scanning each of the faces. "I doubt they're skilled enough to be a major threat."

"There's five of them!" she hissed back. "Bingo book or not, that's five missing-nin against six genin and two jounin. The odds are not in our favor."

Shikamaru thought for a moment. "Okay, here's what we'll do—"

"Shut up!" roared the one-eyed man, hefting a large, jagged-edged knife over his shoulder.

Behind them, Megumi gave a feeble "Eep!" and Houzumi took a step back.

"I've a message for your Hokage," the man growled, leveling his knife at Shikamaru. "And I only need one person to deliver it."


	27. Eventful

**acclimation;** 27.) _eventful_—

* * *

"Shikamaru!" Ino screamed, dodging a fuuma shuriken that came far too close for comfort. She was frantic, trying to protect Megumi's body and Maji, who hadn't moved since Megumi took a tantou to the abdomen. "We need to get out of here!"

"I'm…a bit busy at the moment!" Shikamaru answered her, dodging a kunai and impaling his assailant with a shadow.

Beneath her, Megumi choked on her blood, her chest heaving as she gave into a coughing fit. Ino's hands began to burn with the dangerous amount of healing chakra she sent into Megumi's wound, but nothing seemed to help. Tears pricked in Ino's eyes, and she managed to strangle a sob just as it left her throat.

"Ino-sensei! Do something!" Maji shrieked at her, his hands clenched into the blood-soaked grass beside Megumi's dying body.

"I'm trying!" the blonde cried, her voice high-pitched and near cracking.

Maji remained tight-lipped, completely oblivious to the battle around him.

Takuza and Houzumi had managed to incapacitate one missing-nin, knocking him out soundly and tying him roughly to a tree. Ino had managed to invade one enemy and use him to kill the shinobi that had attacked Megumi, leaving Shikamaru to take down the man that Ino had used her mind jutsu on once she was safely back in her body. One missing-nin had seen the carnage and thought it wasn't worth it, high-tailing his cowardly hide into the forest and out of danger. For that, Ino was grateful.

Megumi took in one last shuddering breath, and her heart stopped. The glow around Ino's hands dimmed, and she stared unblinkingly at her dead student, still in shock. Maji grabbed Megumi's limp arm, screaming her name and shaking her roughly, as if she were still sleeping and would wake at any moment.

"Ino!" screamed Shikamaru, breaking her from her stupor. "Take the genins and go!"

The one-eyed man was left, weaving his sword around Shikamaru's shadows and slicing away at his skin. Shikamaru sported several slashes on his arms and legs, none fatal, but blood poured out of his wounds, making his hands slick and unsteady.

"Go!" he shouted at her again, ducking in order to keep his head.

Ino turned to Maji, his eyes wide and scared, and told him to take Megumi's body and run. Takuza dropped neatly beside the brown-haired boy and tugged him to his feet, taking one of Megumi's arms and directing Maji to do the same.

"C'mon!" Yukari yelled as she dragged Houzumi to disappear into the forest.

"Take her back to Konoha," Ino told Maji, making sure Megumi's body was safely secured to his back before swiveling on her heels and running towards Shikamaru.

The missing-nin's sword came barreling towards Shikamaru, and Ino rushed forward and tackled him to the ground out of the way.

"Ino!"

"You're getting sloppy," she admonished him, grimacing at the lacerations all over his body.

"I told you to take the genin—"

"They're gone. Formation Delta?"

"Yeah, we'll try that—"

Before he could finish, he shoved her out of the way, sending her backwards with a squeal, narrowly missing the fire jutsu the missing-nin had sent their way.

"Ino! Just go!" Shikamaru said, changing his mind. He'd rather risk only himself in danger. "Go after the genin!"

"No! I'm not leaving you here!"

"Ino! Don't argue with me!" He grunted as the enemy ran up to him and punched him in the face, sending him reeling. Once he recovered, Shikamaru locked into hand-to-hand combat with his enemy, leaving either unable to use their jutsu.

The one-eyed shinobi kicked Shikamaru's feet from underneath him and scrambled for his sword. Before Shikamaru could clamber back to his feet, the enemy flung the sword in his direction, heading his way with deadly accuracy.

Without a second thought, Ino jumped forward and placed herself between Shikamaru and the sword, watching in apt fascination as the sword easily sliced through her chest. She stumbled backwards, Shikamaru rising to catch her before she fell.

He laid her on the ground, ripping the sword out of her chest and attempting to staunch the flow of blood from her wound with his hands. Blood pounded through his ears, rendering him immune to anything but Ino bleeding out before him, but anger flooded through his system, and he turned around, his hands flying to create seals. Before the missing-nin could manage a smile at his handiwork, his shadow rose up to strangle him as Shikamaru turned back to Ino, leaving the shadows to take care of their last enemy.

"Ino! Ino!" he screamed, ripping off his shirt to quell the blood gushing from her chest. "No, don't—You're not supposed to die! You're the medic, not me!"

Her eyes fluttered opened, and he cursed his inability to use healing chakra. Her long hair was matted with her blood, red and sticky, and when drops of clear liquid fell on his hands, he realized he was crying.

"No, you can't...you can't die!" Shikamaru sobbed. "Not you. Not after Asuma, not after our fathers…Ino! Please!"

Her breathing stopped. Shikamaru held his breath, unwilling to accept that she was gone. He laid his forehead against hers, bringing a bloody hand to cup her cheek.

"No! Ino! I love you. I love you!"

* * *

**Author Note:** Sorry it's long and unbeta'd. I'm terrible at fight scenes, please forgive me.


	28. Conditions

**acclimation; **28.) _conditions_—

* * *

Ino woke with a groan, arching her aching back and suddenly regretting the decision, her chest screaming out in pain the moment she moved. She collapsed back onto her bed, head spinning as she waited for the pain to abate.

"You need to be more careful," Shikamaru said from the doorway.

Ino growled at him, and gingerly pulled off the bed sheets. "I'm fine."

"No thanks to yourself. What were you thinking, jumping in front of me?!" He stalked to the edge of her bed and glared down at her.

"I saved your life," she hissed back up at him, "and this is the thanks I get?" She had been bedridden for the two weeks since nearly losing her life. Tired of being stuck in her bedroom, she attempted to rise from her bed, throwing her legs over the side.

"You want me to thank you for the most terrifying trip back to Konoha I've ever had, with you bleeding out everywhere and nearly dead?" he said harshly, but she merely pushed him away as her feet hit the floor. He pressed his lips together as she took two hesitant steps, but stumbled on the third, and came crashing into him. He caught her on reflex, hugging her gently as she cried out and took a shuddering breath.

Ino squeezed her eyes in pain, nuzzling her face into his chest as she tried to hold back a wail of pain. After a few moments, she moved away from Shikamaru, unsteady on her feet, but unwilling to be so close to him.

"Well, I'm sorry for being _troublesome_. You should've just left me there to die," she whispered as she attempted to walk around him, not meeting his eyes. Megumi's bright face flashed through her mind, and she blinked away tears.

Shocked, Shikamaru sputtered and held out an arm to stop her advance. "No, no, that's not what I mean—"

"You are far more precious to Konoha than I am," she interrupted, pushing away his arm, "but you will always be more precious to me than Konoha."

He reached for her again and caught her easily, trapping her in his arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so harsh, it's just that…because of me, you nearly…"

"Have you told her yet?"

"What?" He glanced down at Ino. She had her fists clenched against his chest, still avoiding his gaze.

"Have you told her yet?"

"This isn't the time to be—"

"If this incident hasn't taught you anything, Shikamaru, I swear I will—"

"Yes, I did," he admitted with a sigh. She finally looked up at him.

"You did? What did she say?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Nothing? What do you mean nothing?" She pounded his chest, and he winced. She was still strong, despite being confined to a bed lately.

"I told her, but she said nothing back."

"When did you tell her?"

"Two weeks ago."

"So she rejected you?"

He released her, tucking his arms into his sides and his hands into his pockets. Ino wavered on her feet, but otherwise kept her steady gaze on him. "I suppose so."

"And you're just going to let her go like that? You've loved her for years! You gave up Emiko for her! You're just going to stand back and let her walk away?"

He sighed again, ducking his head. "It's fine. I don't blame her though."

"For what? She's an idiot if she doesn't see how great you are!"

"Stop it, Ino."

"No! How can she not see how amazing you are? You're a genius, one of the best jounin Konoha has!"

"Ino—"

"Even if you're lazy, you clearly care for your friends and would do anything to keep them out of harm's way—"

"That's enough!"

Ino quieted at his words, taken aback.

"You don't know what you're saying," he continued, turning away and heading for her door.

"But she—"

"She's afraid of life, and I don't blame her. Times are hard, and she says life is short. And she doesn't date shinobi, so it doesn't even matter anyway."

Ino was silent as the door slammed closed behind him.


	29. Redemption

**acclimation;** 29.) _redemption_—

* * *

Standing in front of the memorial stone, Shikamaru looked up and took a drag of his cigarette. The smoke swirled upward to the darkened sky, and he sighed as he heard footsteps behind him.

"It's probably bad etiquette to confess to a girl when she's unconscious," Ino spoke from behind him.

"Probably," he agreed, not turning to face her.

She walked up beside him, eyeing the memorial stone with distaste. Her father's name was there, etched just beneath Shikaku's, and she placed a wrapped bouquet at the base. A bowl of rice sat neatly before the stone, looking suspiciously like it came from the Akimichi kitchen.

Ino turned to Shikamaru, and frowned at the cigarette dangling from his lips.

"What did I tell you?" she asked, staring pointedly at his mouth.

"That girls wouldn't want to k—" was all he could mutter around the cigarette before Ino reached over and plucked the offending item from his lips and reached a hand behind his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

It was sudden, and Shikamaru was hardly prepared, but a few seconds into the kiss and he was losing himself already. Her lips were soft, just like at age fourteen, and her gentle skin fell to his greedy hands as he pulled her close. He was just about to deepen the kiss when rationality hit, and he shoved her away as if he had been burned.

Ino stumbled back, startled. "Wha—"

"Don't do this," he answered her, his voiced strained. He swiped a hand over his mouth as if he could wipe away her influence on him. "Don't do this to me," he begged.

"And here I thought I was the one afraid of life," she retorted, stepping forward. He backed away, half of him wanting to run, the other half wanting nothing more than to smother her with nine years' worth of lost opportunities and kisses. "Ugh, you taste like an ashtray," she spoke, but grabbed his face in both hands and dragged him down for another kiss.

This time, he didn't shove her away.

* * *

**Author Note:** Now we're finally getting some good ShikaIno action. Sorry for not posting in the past two days, but the last two chapters will be posted in a few hours (after I write them).

Shout out to _deathrosekitty_ for making my morning by leaving some thirty reviews in one day. It was a pleasant surprise.

Also, not quite sure if the Japanese leave food out at grave sites. I know some Asian cultures/religions do that at a personal/ancestral shrine, but probably not at cemeteries. I just wanted to throw something in for Chouza.


	30. Restore

**acclimation;** 3o.) _restore_—

* * *

"Have you seen your students yet?"

Ino snapped her head up at the Hokage's voice. "I…Vana came to see me in the hospital a few times. But…not Maji."

"No one blames you for Megumi's death," Tsunade told her in a stern voice. Ino winced at the sound.

"I know. Still, the look in his eyes when she died right before him…"

Tsunade's voice softened as she spoke, "We all experience the loss of a teammate or a loved one sooner or later in this profession. We all know the risks."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama."

"I know it's only been a month since you recovered, but I think your team should get back to training. You won't be given missions for a while, and I've assigned a new genin to your team. You've been an excellent sensei so far, Yamanaka, and I know you'll continue to do well."

"I…thank you, Tsunade-sama." Ino left with a bow, and quickly left the Hokage's office.

Shikamaru was waiting for her outside. He pushed off the wall he was leaning against and reached for her once she was beside him, pulling her in for a hug.

"How'd it go?"

Ino was silent for a moment. "I'm getting a new genin on my team."

"Yeah, I figured as much. There have been some exceptional students at the academy this year and I'm sure Tsunade—"

"No!" she yelled, drawing away. "I don't want a new genin! I don't want someone to come in and _replace_ Megumi as if she was never there! There's a gaping hole in my heart where she belongs, and I can't fit another student in there!"

Shikamaru pulled her back against him. "You're not replacing Megumi. This is about fortifying Konoha's upcoming generation of shinobi, and genin teams can't function with only two members. No one's forgetting Megumi, not as long as you keep her memory alive. Sakura joined you and Chouji for the chuunin exams, didn't she? But I'm still here."

Ino buried her face in his chest and sighed. "Yes. You're still here."


	31. Homecoming

**acclimation;** 31.) _homecoming_—

* * *

"That's all you brought?" Ino asked with an air of skepticism.

"Uh, yeah," Shikamaru replied, nervously adjusting the small duffle bag on his shoulder. It was the same bag he had used when he first moved in after his roof started leaking.

"But…"

"But?"

"Nothing," Ino said with a shake of her head. She stepped back and ushered him in, closing the door once he was inside.

Not much had changed, Shikamaru noted. The potted plant Daisuke had gifted Ino was gone, he realized, and was pleased. Ino shifted uncertainly behind him, and he turned around, almost sensing her insecurity.

"What's wrong?"

"I just, I mean. Is that all you brought?"

"I lived off of this for three weeks. What else do I need?"

"But you're going to be here for more than three weeks. Hopefully." She uttered the last word with a wring of her hands and lowered her gaze.

He smiled as he dropped his bag. He walked over and wrapped her in his arms, nuzzling his face in her hair. "I have everything I could possibly need."

Ino clung to him as if she were drowning. Her hands trailed up into his hair, and she pressed a kiss against his lips.

"Welcome home," she said.

* * *

**Author Note:** Done! Thanks for all the reviews, subscribes, and favorites. Hope you enjoyed it. :)


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